Episode 32 - The New Zealand tea room

[ComeIntoTheGardenMaud]

Well folks, here we are, beside the hot springs of New Zealand.

The tea room (with the customary distressed chintz sofa) overlooks the steaming, bubbling lake. For the bold and sporty, hiking, biking and sky-diving are on offer. Personally, I'm not planning to leave the spa.

Please come and join us for a celebratory drink and conversation ranging from the profound to the profoundly silly. The cardinal rule remains: no fisticuffs.

Well done, Boy!

First day of swimming for the new term -- Toddler was like a duck in water. There was that "ooohhhh, I'm back in the pool, yippee!" squeal to him as we walked in to the changing room. All morning it was "Simming pool?! Friend? Friend's brother? Simming pool?!" Toddler and his friend kept playing "catch" (chase/tag) in the changing room after our session and laughing as they'd run up and touch each other shouting "Catch!" and run away. But as we were leaving the leisure center Toddler's friend kept saying "Toddler, hold [friend's name here] hand!" and trying to hold his hand but TS kept laughing and running and then coming back and touching her shouting "catch!" and they'd run again. Oh boy they're starting young!

Had a lovely mini-meet-up with the tea and the lovely Milk. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time in Scoutshire!

Thanks Scout xxx - Just back from a fab meet up with some old friends in the pub and kept swishing my new haircut - ooooh aaaaaaaw (Scout and I part outside the hairdressers as Milk and I wondered in t see our lovely hairdresser).

It was so so so great to see you - funny - t'was the first time we have seen each other in the flesh but it instantly felt like old friends - coz in the tearoom we are all old friends now - we all know too much to be anything but friends LOL - nuff said!!!!

Ooo TEA!!! you're back, hurrah! I hope when you get back t'other side of the Channel you'll be able to stay online?

Well done to Boy for reading improvements, that's excellent!

I did :) at MC's wanting to make sure he didn't end up like Flat Stanley. Good idea, magnetic whiteboard in his room. Minithumb has a magnetic white board as part of his drawing easel, with letters and numbers to play with - but so far he hasn't shown much interest in them. He's getting there though - he wants to be able to tell the time so I've had to explain he needs to know his numbers to do it.

Scout -has MrScout divulged the fell reason for wanting to know about his passport yet? Sounds like swimming was fun. I need to look into going to the indoor pool 20mins away over winter here, otherwise miniThumb may forget all he's learnt in our local outdoor pool.

all round and hello tea, lovely to see you!

and anzac biscuits all round.

I OUGHT to be cleaning teh bathroom and vacuming teh house.... my parents arrive in teh next hour.... someone kick me.

Oi, UniS, get cleaning!

You can have a and a afterwards.

Toddler's Grandmom- and GrandadScout bought Toddler the raincoat I linked to a few days ago. He's going to be the brightest Toddler in the rain in Scoutshire. MomScout said it also has flannel lining -- result!

At least you won't lose him scout!

I am, for some reason, stupidly excited about this raincoat.

Teeeeeaaaaaa!

::clasps Tea to her ample bosom::

Clasps maud to her bosom too in an over excited moment of re-unitedness?. LOL - Actually - I was nearish to your 'hood (well...Lundun, innit?) on Saturday afternoon hanging out with a few hippy mates of mine in Brixton Village?.. oooooh how artsy, hippy, romantic and heading towards?. dare I say?. posh? it has become, eh?!!? I am heading back to dear Paaaareeee tomorrow (if Milk stops vomitting - eeeeekkk - panic pants pulled up high!!!!) but should be back in London-ish-area-kinda sometime in the summer would be 100percent fab to see some tearoomers for a good catch up?. it has been too too long - and meet ups are such FUN! xxx

Ahhhh tea - I hope she stops vomming! Tis very worrying, the thought of travelling with sickness - but at least Paris isn't too far away. I was VERY relieved that I stopped being ill about 12h before flying home to Australia...

Yay for the grandparents, Scout! And yes, will decrease your chances of losing TS enormously

hello my dears, especially Tea!! ::joins Tea and Maud in love in hug::

I'm up for a meet up. Maud and I have been trying to have a coffee for about, oh, 8 months wouldn't you say Maud??!!

here, hvae one right now

glad all sounding well. have had a slightly gruelling week at work so am celebrating with a bit more wook quick mn while OxBoy and OxBloke make music - I love the ukelele - currently they're doing the full ABBA back catalogue as far as I can tell - glad we have kindly neighbours!

oh I'm working not wooking which sounds much more fun

wooking DOES sound more fun than working. or as DS writes it , "getting mony for a holerday" he know WHY I work it seems.

Lol - good reason for doing some work too!

Mistlechick came back from holiday camp yesterday all loved up And having been saying that he never wanted to go back to that one in the summer, he now wants to go back there in the summer so that he can 'hang out' with her .

Better book our summer hols.

When Toddler tells me that "Daddy work" I say "Yes, Daddy's gone to work so Mommy can buy your Cheerios." (I should mention Toddler usually tells me that MrScout's at work during breakfast.)

::Continue the love-in::

Are OxBloke and OxBoy playing the ukulele?

::Throws ukulele in back of car and zooms off to OxTowers::

A London meet-up would be utterly splendid.

I can bring a uke along too! I might even manage to remember more than 3 chords if I concentrate hard

uke less, can I bring a uni? I could play percussion on the spokes.
.

I could bring one along for you to strum UniS, we seem to have rather an excess in this household.

oh yes, a ukelele meet up would be fab. that was what they were playing indeedy.

OxBoy is very focussed on my work - "Mummeeee go back and do more work so I can buy toys. Daddy and I are busy"

that kind of thing

MrScout has finally taken the rails off of Toddler's cotbed tonight () so now TS is in a big boy's bed (). My baby's a big boy (). (To be fair I've wanted to do it for months though Toddler's never climbed out made a bid for freedom he does try to climb in so to protect the bed I've stomped my foot and said we had to take the rails off.)

After five/six years of piano lessons I have no musical ability. If I bring clapping hands, stomping feet and an appreciation can I join in the ukulele meet-up?

It's Sunday night, who'd like a sophisticated glass of to relax before the week ahead?

Toddler's sound asleep in his big boy bed, clutching Bunny in one hand and a book in another. He didn't get out of bed once.

yes please, not too sophisticated though, I have visions of my glass wearing a beret and belted mac and talking to me through the corner of its mouth "'ello Ladeeez"